1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine head for a guitar which is used for adjusting tension of a guitar string and thereby tuning the guitar string, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a machine head for a guitar which allows a guitar string to be reliably clamped to a tuning peg while being effectively prevented from snapping.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a machine head for a guitar, which is mounted to a head of the guitar, is used for clamping an end of a guitar string to the head of the guitar, adjusting tension of the guitar string by winding or unwinding the guitar string on or from a tuning peg through rotation of a tuning handle, and thereby tuning the guitar string.
In the conventional machine head for a guitar, by rotating a tuning handle secured to an end of a worm shaft which extends through a machine head body, a worm wheel which is meshed with a worm of the worm shaft inside the body is rotated, and thereby, a tuning peg is also rotated. By this, a guitar string which is inserted through a guitar string insertion hole which is defined in the tuning peg, is wound or unwound on or from the tuning peg, whereby the guitar string is allowed to be tuned.
However, the conventional machine head for a guitar suffers from a problem in that it is necessary for a person to hold the guitar string around a spool portion of the tuning peg using the fingers until the guitar string is clamped to the tuning peg through the rotation of the tuning handle, whereby inconvenience is caused to the person while holding the guitar string around the spool portion of the tuning peg. Also, because the guitar string is clamped by being wound through several turns on the tuning peg, the guitar string is likely to be loosened, and it is necessary to frequently perform a guitar string tuning work.
To cope with these problems, the present applicant disclosed a machine head for guitars as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,001, and a guitar string tuning device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,287. Hereinafter, the guitar string tuning device which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,287 will be described by reference.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional guitar string tuning device. The guitar string tuning device 1 includes a body 100, a manipulating lever, a tuning peg 120 and a clamping section 150. A guitar string W is wound on and unwound from the tuning peg 120 to be tuned thereby. The tuning peg 120 has a slit 122 which is defined at an upper end thereof and a worm wheel which is formed at a lower end thereof. The body 100 accommodates the tuning peg 120 therein in a manner such that the tuning peg 120 is maintained in an upright posture. The manipulating lever has a worm which is formed at one end thereof in a manner such that the worm enters into the body 100 to be meshed with the worm wheel of the tuning peg 120 accommodated in the body 100 and a tuning handle 110 which is formed at the other end thereof. The clamping section 150 functions to clamp the guitar string W to the tuning peg 120 which is rotated by manipulating the tuning handle 110. The clamping section 150 includes a clamping cap 140 which has arranged therein a clamping member 132. The clamping member 132 is fastened to the clamping cap 140 by means of a suitable fastener 130 such as a screw, a pin and the like. The clamping member 132 has a predetermined width extending in a lengthwise direction of the guitar string W which is inserted through the slit 122 of the tuning peg 120. An externally threaded portion is formed on a circumferential outer surface of the tuning peg 120, and an internally threaded portion is formed on a circumferential inner surface of the clamping cap 140. As the internally threaded portion of the tuning peg 120 is screwed into the externally threaded portion of the clamping cap 140, the clamping member 132 is moved downward and squeezes the guitar string W against a bottom surface of the slit 122 defined in the tuning peg 120.
As a consequence, it is possible to conveniently clamp the guitar string W with uniform clamping force exerted over a predetermined length of the guitar string W. However, the conventional guitar string tuning device still suffers from a defect in that, since both ends of the bottom surface defining the slit 122 and both ends of a lower end surface of the clamping member 132 are respectively bent at right angles, the likelihood of the guitar string W to frequently snap is increased upon continued use.
Moreover, because the clamping member 132 is fastened to the clamping cap 140 by means of the fastener such as a screw, a pin and the like, bothersomeness is caused due to a complex assembling procedure.
Further, due to the fact that the clamping cap 140 and the tuning peg 120 are threadedly coupled with each other, the clamping cap 140 is apt to be lost.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a machine head for a guitar which allows a guitar string to be reliably clamped to a tuning peg while being effectively prevented from snapping.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine head for a guitar which can be easily mounted to a head of the guitar.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a machine head for a guitar in which a clamping cap is prevented from being lost.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a machine head for a guitar in which a clamping cap and a clamping member are conveniently assembled with each other.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine head for a guitar, comprising: a clamping section having a tuning peg and a clamping cap; the tuning peg being defined with a first insertion hole, which extends in a transverse direction and through which a guitar string is inserted, and a second insertion hole, which extends in a longitudinal direction and is communicated with the first insertion hole, and being formed on a circumferential outer surface thereof with an externally threaded portion; and the clamping cap being formed on a circumferential inner surface thereof with an internally threaded portion and having integrated therewith a clamping member which is inserted through the second insertion hole and has a lower end of a semi-spherical configuration.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the second insertion hole extends through the first insertion hole in a manner such that a lower end of the second insertion hole has a level which is lower than that of the first insertion hole.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a diameter of the clamping cap is no greater than that of the tuning peg.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the machine head further comprises a release preventing section which includes an extended portion, a release preventing ring and a receiving groove, the extended portion being formed on an upper end of the tuning peg, the release preventing ring being fitted around the extended portion and the receiving groove in which the release preventing ring is received being defined on the circumferential inner surface of the clamping cap at an upper end of the internally threaded portion.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the machine head further comprises a coupling section which includes a circumferential groove, a fastening ring and a coupling groove, the circumferential groove being defined adjacent to an upper end of the clamping member, the fastening ring being fitted into the circumferential groove and the coupling groove in which the fastening ring is engaged being defined on the circumferential inner surface and adjacent to an upper end of the clamping cap.